Old Testament Walk Through: Exodus 1

Exodus means “exit” or “departure.”

The Blood of the Lamb

“The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” (Exodus 12:13 NIV). “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7b NIV).

The Holiness of God

“Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:11 NIV).

I Four Names of God

YHWH I AM WHO I AM
(Exodus 3:14)

This is the personal name of God. (Like Moses or David or like Mary or Elizabeth). It is used more than 6000 times in the Old Testament. Jewish people do not say YHWH out of great reverence to this name and perhaps to obey the 3rd commandment (Exodus 20:7) which says “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God.” So this name is written as LORD to distinguish it from another word, “Adonai,” which is translated “Lord.” So wherever you come across LORD in an English translation of the Bible it refers to YHWH. [It is pronounced as Yahweh.]

The revelation of God’s personal name is rooted in His holiness (Exodus 3:5) and His intimacy with His people (Exodus 3:6). This name tells us that He is the One who is actively present with and for His people. The timing of God revealing His personal name tells us something more. It tells us that Yahweh is a God who is with His people to save them and deliver them from those who held them in slavery. Thus God, by revealing to His people His personal name Yahweh also revealed to them His inmost character—that He is holy, and actively present with His people, and able to save with a mighty deliverance. [this paragraph has been paraphrased from a study on The Names of God by Rev. J. Alec Motyer].

Note 1: One of the reasons why people wanted to kill Jesus was because He used this name of God for Himself saying, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58 NIV).

Note 2: “Much is lost in Bible reading if we forget to look beyond the substitute word to the personal, intimate name of God Himself” Rev. J. Alec Motyer. Read also Exodus 6:2, 3.

The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob
(Exodus 3:15/also 3:6).

This is a unique revelation of God’s name. It is in relationship with His people. God wants Himself to be remembered from generation to generation by this name (3:15b)! Think about it! God is willing to have His name proclaimed in relationship with His people. Abraham was not a perfect person nor was Jacob. In fact Jacob was a deceiver. Yet God, forever, has united His name with His people.

Jesus argued that the resurrection is a reality from this name of God. He wanted people to know what the Scriptures said and also the power of God. He quoted the account of the bush where God spoke to Moses saying, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Jesus said that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. (Mark 12:24—27). Scholars have pointed out that Jesus is calling attention to the tense of the verb “be.” Here rendered “am.” In other words, God did not say, “I was the God of Abraham . . .” but instead “I am.” “For to him all are alive” (Luke 20:38b).

Yahweh-Rapha
I am the LORD, who heals you (Exodus 15:26).

Notice the comma. First of all it is an affirmation of who He is—I am the Lord! He is the healer. Notice also the beginning of verse 26. It starts with “IF.” Only if the Israelites obeyed God and kept His commandments would God be to them, Yahweh-Rapha! All the promises of the Bible become true only IF people obeyed.

Yahweh-Nissi
The LORD is my Banner (Exodus 17:15).

Moses had held up his hands in prayer. It gave them victory in battle. As we learn to fight in prayer, let us remember this name, Yahweh-Nissi for it is a name that brings victory to us in sustained prayer. It also reminds us of united prayer where others support the leader (Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands here). So let us rally under this name of God as soldiers rally beneath the flag they carry into battle!

II The Passover and the Blood of the Lamb (Exodus 12)

The New Testament declares, “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7b). So it is clear that the sacrifice of the lamb at Passover and the applying of the blood pointed to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and His shed blood.

Note a few important points about the Passover lamb:

On the tenth day of the first month they had to select a year old male lamb without defect. A lamb signifies innocence and purity and meekness (“He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth”—Isaiah 53:7b. Jesus is the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world—John 1:29! Peter says that you were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect—1 Peter 1:18, 19. Again, Jesus is seen in heaven as a slain lamb—Revelation 5:6).

After slaughtering the lamb on the fourteenth day at twilight, the people were to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lamb. That means we have to apply the blood of Jesus to our life. It is no use having an intellectual knowledge about the blood shed on the cross.

The lamb was to be roasted over the fire (vv. 8, 9) showing the extreme suffering of Jesus on the cross. “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer” (Isaiah 53:10).

It was specifically commanded not to break any of its bones (v. 46). This was prophetically fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Read also John 19:33, 36, Numbers 9:12 and Psalm 34:20).

The lamb had to be eaten. We have to feed on Jesus 6:53—58). They had to eat the Passover in haste (v. 11) showing their readiness to leave the past behind. God is calling you to leave the land of slavery (your life of sin which is symbolized by Egypt) and quickly move on to God’s promises and blessing.

There was protection under the blood of the lamb (v. 13). It is through the blood of Jesus that we receive cleansing from sin, forgiveness of our sins and deliverance from death which is the wages of sin. If anyone went outside the house where the blood was applied, he would be killed (vv. 22B, 23).

This ceremony was to be observed from generation to generation. And its meaning was to be told to children in the years to come (vv. 24—27). Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples and gave new meaning to the breaking of bread and the drinking of wine. We remember His death and look forward to His second coming by participating in the communion. “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).

III The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:14—20)

Along with the Passover they had to observe the feast of the unleavened bread for seven days. That is bread made without yeast. Now yeast symbolized sin since a little yeast could easily work through a whole batch of dough. So permitting a little sin in your life can corrupt your entire life sooner or later. So avoid sin. That is the message of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:15, 18—20). Read 1 Corinthians 5:6—8 for better understanding.

IV The Consecration of the Firstborn (Exodus 13:1—16)

God said, “Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether man or animal” (Exodus 13:1). This was to remind the Israelites of how their firstborn was spared in Egypt. Also God wanted to tell them that the first and the best belongs to God. Again the meaning of it was to be told to their children so that they would always be a people of remembrance. You should never forget what God has done in your life. Here, consecrating of the firstborn did not mean they were to be put to death. Instead they were to be redeemed by paying five shekels of silver to the priests (Numbers 18:16).

V Moses

Moses is one of the most outstanding characters of the Old Testament. We come to know of his birth and his call to leadership in this part of the Bible.

Exodus 2 His birth
Moses was born a slave. And was destined to be killed immediately. But his mother hid him. The Bible tells us that this was an act of faith; and that they were not afraid of the king’s edict (Hebrews 11:23). And when he could not be hid any longer he was floated in a papyrus basket along the bank of the Nile.

When Pharaoh’s daughter came to bathe she found the baby crying. Now Miriam, Moses’ sister, gets into the act and talks to her and fetches Moses’ own mother to nurse him (Isn’t it unusual to get paid for nursing one’s own child?). Finally Pharaoh’s daughter adopts Moses as her own son. Moses was the name she gave to him and it means, “draw out.”

His great mistake
Moses, though he grew up in the palace of the greatest world empire of that time, had his heart with his own people working as slave labourers in Egypt. In an attempt to help them he killed an Egyptian and hid the body in the sand.

The next day he tried to solve a dispute between two Israelites and they rejected him saying, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Moses had to flee because Pharaoh heard of this and tried to kill him.

Two things need to be noted about Moses in this context:

One, Moses was rejected the first time because he was trying to deliver God’s people in his own way and in his own strength. He only ended up being a murderer, a “wanted” man in Egypt. The Bible says, in the words of Stephen, “Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not” (Acts 7:25 NIV/emphasis added). So the lesson is, Never attempt to do anything for God in your own strength. It is bound to fail. The second time, the Bible records that, when God himself sent Moses to be the ruler and deliverer of Israel (Acts 7:35), the people accepted his leadership.

Two, even though Moses trusted in his own strength and made a huge mistake, the Bible talks in glowing terms of his motive. “By faith, Moses when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward” (Hebrews 11:24—26 NIV).

The lessons here are many. Moses made a deliberate choice to identify with God’s people than have the badge of honour of this world. Will you? He chose to suffer along with God’s people rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. Will you?

Finally, he chose disgrace for the sake of Christ than the treasures of Egypt. In other words, Christ was his treasure even though he became humiliated in the eyes of the Egyptians as a leader of slaves. So the question is, Who or what is your treasure?

Exodus 3 and 4 The Call
God grabs Moses’ attention when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Forty years had passed since he had fled from Egypt. But we need to note that God takes time (a long time in our eyes) to prepare his servants. The greater the task the longer the time.

Moses was called and the identity of God revealed. God told him that He had seen the misery of His people in Egypt and heard their cry. He told that He was concerned about their suffering and had now come down to rescue them. Then God told Moses, “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10 NIV).

This was met by a series of excuses from the part of Moses. Do you like to give excuses? If so, do not try to offer excuses to God when He gives you a specific task. Now Moses said:

Excuse #1, “Who am I?” (3:11).
God’s Answer: “I will be with you” (3:12).

Excuse #2, When they ask me what your name is, “Then what shall I tell them” (3:13).
God’s Answer: “I AM WHO I AM” (3:14).

Excuse #3, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me?” (4:1)
God’s Answer: “What is that in your hand?”

Note: God starts with whatever you have with you. The staff was an ordinary stick in Moses’ hand. But it became a mighty symbol of God’s power in Moses’ hands. So when you are giving excuses to God, He is asking you, “What do you have with you today?A little money? A little ability? A little time? Think about it.

Excuse #4, “I have never been eloquent . . . I am slow of speech and tongue” (4:10). Note: This seems surprising since Stephen said, “Moses . . . was powerful in speech and action” (Acts 7:22).
God’s Answer: “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go: I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” (4:11—12).

Excuse #5, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it” (4:13)
God’s Reaction: Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses! Note: Beware of crossing the limit when you give excuses to God. It is not good to have God’s anger aroused against you. [More repeat of excuses: 6:12 and 30]

Moses the Messenger
Moses was given two messages. One to God’s people, the message of deliverance (Exodus 4:29—31 and 6:6—8. In the second passage note the seven “I wills.”). Note the two occasions here. The first time when the people heard that the Lord was concerned and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshipped (4:31). But the second time, after Pharaoh had made their labour hard and difficult, the people “did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage” (6:9).

Note: God’s deliverances are always met with resistance. During those times let us not get discouraged.

If the first message was to God’s people, the second message was to Pharaoh from the Lord, which was repeated many times: “Let my people go so that they may worship me!” [Refer 5:1, 7:16, 8:1, 20, 9:1, 13, 10:3). [The repeated emphasis on worship tells us that it is absolutely important for God’s people to be a worshipping community.] Pharaoh reacts, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go” (5:2). He hardens his heart against God and finally God hardens his heart which ultimately led to his destruction and the plunder of Egypt.

VI Judgement

God send ten plagues beginning with the plague of blood and ending with the death of the firstborn of Egypt. (Note that the Egyptian magicians were able to perform some similar things as done by Moses and Aaron. So all miracles that you see in the world today need not be from God.).

Note also that when some of these plagues happened, God put a distinction between His people and the Egyptians. Again note that Moses played an active role in prayer in the stopping of the plagues at Pharaoh’s request. That means that God expects us to pray and cooperate in His efforts to deliver us. Note that there might be a Pharaoh in our heart. Do we not say sweet things to God to get some immediate deliverance and then forget to keep the promises we make to God.

The purpose of God’s judgements on Egypt can be summed up as follows:

to let the Egyptians know that there is none like God in all the earth (9:14) (see Jer. 10:6).
to reveal God’s power and to proclaim His name in all the earth (9:16) (see Jeremiah 10:6).
to bring judgement on all the gods of Egypt (12:12). Each plague was a defeat of one specific god of Egypt and the final one a defeat of all their gods.
to make a distinction between His people and others (8:22, 23; 9:4; 11:7)
as a testimony to future generations (10:1, 2).
to gain glory for Himself through Pharaoh and all his army, so that the Egyptians would know that God is the Lord (14:4, 18).
to reveal that He is majestic in holiness, awesome in glory and working wonders (15:11).

VII Egypt—A Christian Symbol of Sin and Slavery

We need to note that what God did in Egypt is richly symbolic of what happens in our hearts today. 400 years plus of slavery in Egypt is symbolic of our hearts which are in slavery to sin. Our hearts are inclined to rest in comforts (see Exodus 16:3 and Numbers 11:5) and also ready to make and worship idols (see Exodus 32:1—4).

Now, the Bible says that, “God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions” (Ephesians 2:5 NIV). The phrase “dead in transgressions” perfectly describes the experience of Egypt in our life. And how does God make us alive with Christ? It is by the blood of the Lamb. If anyone was not under the protection of the blood that Passover night in Egypt (even if he was Moses himself), he would have died!

VIII God’s Mighty Power (Exodus 14)

There is no other Old Testament incident that so powerfully demonstrates God’s mighty power than the Exodus and the parting of the Red sea. There were 6,00,000 (6 lakh) men on foot besides women and children. That means that there were around 30,00,000 (30 lakh) people including women and children. Can you imagine what big a crowd that would have been?. T

God, through the leadership of two men, brought out His people from Egypt in one night! However the vast majority of Israelites were not believers in spite of having seen the ten plagues that devastated Egypt. And in spite of having God’s visible presence with them as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21, 22), when they saw the army of Pharaoh approaching them they turned against Moses:

“Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert” (Exodus 14:11, 12 NIV).

The Israelites had seen God act in miraculous ways in Egypt. Many times God made a distinction between His people and the Egyptians when He had sent the plagues. Yet, now, at the first sign of trouble they turned against Moses saying that Egypt was better. Note that your journey to freedom is not going to happen without a fight from Pharaoh and his armies (Satan and his followers).

Moses then told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still” (Exodus 14:13, 14 NIV).

Two great truths need to noted here.

One, as written elsewhere in many places in the Bible, the battle is the Lord’s. You need to recognize that in your own power and strength you cannot win the battle over sin.

Two, you need to be still. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” This is most difficult for many Christians. They are very busy for God. They cannot sit still. But real strength and victory over sin comes when you are able to stop all your trying and rest in God and His strength.

Now the angel of God withdrew from the front of the Israelite army and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them giving light to one side and darkness to the other side. Then Moses raised his staff and stretched out his hand across the sea and the waters of the sea divided. And the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground.

Have you come to places like this in your life? When there is a huge difficulty in front (the Red Sea) and real danger behind (Pharaoh and his armies)? What can you do in such situations? Cry out to God and then stand still. The Lord will cut a path through the impossibility ahead. But you must have the desire to have God’s name glorified in the deliverance He gives (ref. Exodus 14:18).

The Lord fought against Egypt and caused the sea to cover the Egyptians once the Israelites were safely on the other side. All Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore. “And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant” (Exodus 14;31).

Such a mighty act of deliverance of an entire nation brought glory to the name of the Lord. “You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day” (Nehemiah 9:10b). So whenever you have doubts, turn to this portion and read. And think about God’s mighty power. It will encourage you for He is able to work mighty deliverances in your life too.

Exodus 15 is the first song recorded in the Bible. In Revelation 15:2, 3, “those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name” are seen holding harps given them by God and singing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb!

IX God’s Provision

Marah (Exodus 15:22—27) The people travelled three days in the desert without finding water. And they came to a place called Marah (it means bitter). They could not drink its water because it was bitter. Then the people grumbled against Moses and he cried out to God.

The Lord showed him a piece of wood. And when Moses threw it into the water, the water became sweet. It is also written that God tested them there (v. 25), and that He expected obedience from His people (v. 26). If they obeyed He would be to them Yahweh-Rapha, the God who heals!

Marah stands for the bitter experiences that we come across in life. During those times we need to turn to God. He will then show us what to do. If we obey, then those very same bitter experiences will become sweet.

Manna (Exodus 16) The Israelites were very rebellious because their stomachs became their god (Exodus 16:3). But God said that He would rain down bread from heaven for these people and the people were to go out and gather enough for each day. This was also a test for the people (v. 4). There is rich symbolism here.

Jesus declared that He is the bread come down from heaven (John 6:32—35). Therefore we are to feed on Him (by reading and thinking deeply on the words of the Bible). Then Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us each day our daily bread.” Though the prayer is for bread to eat, symbolically it also means we are to feed from God’s Word daily.

Now manna was white and tasted like honey. It was named so, because when they got it the first time, they asked each other “Manna?” (meaning “What is it?” see 16:15 and 31). It is also called the bread of angels elsewhere (Psalm 78:23—25).

God asked Aaron to keep an omer of manna in a jar and keep to for the generations to come so that they would always remember how God provided them with food for forty years in the desert. We also should take care to remember God’s provisions for us in the past. We should not be a forgetful people. [God also provided quail for the people.]

Rephidim (Exodus 17:1—7) When the Israelites travelled to this place, they did not find water. So they quarrelled with Moses saying, “Give us water to drink.” (17:2). It is clear that in spite of all that God had done for them, they still did not acknowledge that it was God who was providing for them and not Moses or Aaron.

Now God asked Moses to take with him some of the elders of Israel and take with him the staff. Then note these words: “I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink” (v. 6). Read also 1 Corinthians 10:4 which says, “for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.”

That place was called Massah (testing) and Meribah (quarrelling). The Bible warns us not to harden our hearts like the Israelites. If you hear God’s voice today, obey. See Psalm 95:7b, 8.

X The Art of Delegation (Exodus 18)

In this chapter, we find Moses taking his seat to serve as judge and the people standing around him from morning till evening. His father-in-law saw this and asked him the reason for it. Moses replied that it happened in that manner because people were coming to him to seek God’s will.

Then Moses’ father-in-law taught Moses one of the great principles of leadership that almost all leadership experts follow today. This was the advice he gave him. If Moses continued like what he was doing then both he and the people would only wear themselves out. Even though Moses was a great leader, Jethro told him, “The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.”

He told Moses to be the people’s representative before God and teach them the laws of God and the duties they were to perform. But Moses was to select capable men (men who feared God, trustworthy men who hated dishonest gain) and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.

They were to serve as judges over the people. And simple cases they could solve themselves. But they could bring the difficult cases to Moses. Jethro said, “That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.”

The lesson is that a Christian leader should learn to delegate responsibility to capable men. He should not try to run a one-man show. If he delegates responsibility he can not only make his own load lighter but also meet the needs of all the people under him.

Such a great example is when the early Church selected seven capable men and delegated the responsibility of daily distribution of food to the widows (Acts 6:1—7). This act enabled the Twelve Apostles to be free to preach the word. As a result of the spread of God’s word the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly (Acts 6:7).

XI Preparation for the Receiving of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19)

Mount Sinai . Third Month . First Day after the Israelites left Egypt. Israelites camp in the desert in front of the mountain.

God tells Moses to tell the Israelites: You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt. You saw how I carried you on eagle’s wings (This showed God’s care because other birds carry their young on their talons; but the eagle on its wings. And it also shows the swiftness with which God did this mighty act.).

“Now if you obey . . .” Note the word IF. If the people obeyed, then and then only the promise will come true. And the promise was: “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5, 6 NIV).

God told Moses to prepare the people, to consecrate them for two days, to meet with God. The preparations like washing clothes, setting limits around the mountain, abstaining from normal sexual relations (vv. 10—15) all communicated to the people that they were not to treat meeting with God lightly. For He is a holy and awesome and jealous God who is a consuming fire.

And then the Lord descended on Mount Sinai in fire and with the sound of trumpet blast. The New Testament comments, “The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I am trembling with fear’ ” (Hebrews 12:20b NIV). Though we live in the New Testament age of grace we should not treat approaching God in a light-hearted manner. Because He is still the same God and He does not change (Malachi 3:6).

XII Some Lessons from Exodus 1

We go back to chapter 1 where a few things need to be noted.

Verse 7: Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died. Always remember you have only your lifetime to serve God. So serve Him faithfully in your generation.

Verse 8: Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, cane to power in Egypt. Some 350 years had passed by since the closing of the book of Genesis. You need to know that times change so fast that new kings come to power who know nothing about the good that your forefathers did. So do not live in the glory of the past.

Verse 15—21: Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah were commanded to kill the Hebrew male children at childbirth. But since they feared God they did not do so. And they gave a clever answer to Pharaoh when questioned. Because of this act of devotion to God and trust in Him on the part of the midwives, the people increased and God gave them families of their own. These midwives acted bravely in spite of great danger to their life. And God rewarded them. Sometimes you may be called to act bravely for God in times of danger. During those times, trust God and obey.

GOD’s ATTENTION GRABBERS

The burning bush caught Moses’ attention. He went to investigate. Then God spoke to him. Have you ever noted how many times God has tried to get your attention? He will not call you for His task unless He has your full attention!

Old Testament Walk Through: Exodus 1–19